Gypsy Run
by toughgirls22
Summary: On the run with Garrison and Actor injured, the Gorillas find a surprising band of allies
1. Chapter 1

Occupied France 1943

Chief wrenched the steering wheel suddenly to turn down a gravel road. The car slewed wildly, and there was a sharp protest from Casino in the back seat.

"Jeez, take it easy, will ya!" Both Garrison and Actor were wounded, and he and Goniff were desperately trying to staunch the bleeding.

Chief ignored him. The Krauts were not far behind them, giving chase. His job right now was to get away. Worry about them later. Damn, there was a trail of dust spewing behind the car, not good. He slowed down only a little and took a right turn directly into the orchard that flanked both sides of the road. The ground was packed down between the trees, grass and low weeds keeping the dust to a minimum. He tried to keep to the center, avoiding most of the branches. A few tree roots made the going rough, but not much worse than a cobblestone street. He guessed they had gone a klick from the gravel road, better make a turn. Right towards the main road, or left towards the river? Towards the road, he decided, the Krauts wouldn't be expecting them to backtrack. He slowed down again, took another turn deeper into the trees, and finally brought the vehicle to a halt.

He held up a hand to stifle Casino's next remark. He could hear no sounds other than the wind in the trees. Good, the Krauts were far off their trail. He turned around.

"How are they?"

"Still unconscious, no thanks to your driving." Casino snarled, then took a breath to stifle his panic. "I think we can stop Actor's bleeding again, but the Warden's lost a lot of blood. His breathing don't sound so good neither. We need to find him some help, fast."

Goniff had already tightened the tourniquet around Actor's thigh, and was watching the leg wound closely. Casino shifted his position to put more pressure on the soaked cloths on both sides of Garrison's chest.

"What are we gonna do? Where the hell are we?"

Chief had already turned his eyes to their surroundings. "Gotta be a farmhouse somewhere. See how there's hardly any fruit on these trees, or on the ground neither. Someone's workin' this land, so I better go find 'em." He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Casino. "Keep him warm."

Chief took off at a run, back towards the gravel road. He hadn't seen a house for a few miles along the main road, so maybe the orchard's owner was up that way. Then he heard the faint sound of a car approaching, and threw himself to the ground behind a tree. The Krauts were turning back already. A dog barked in the distance; he fixed the direction in his head and went that way. Deeper into the orchard, but towards the river.

Suddenly, a pack of barking dogs materialized before him. Chief froze and tried to speak soothingly. "Easy now, boys, don't mean no harm." The dogs kept their distance, and kept their eyes on him. No teeth, but one of them barked again. He heard some footsteps approaching, stayed where he was, and slowly raised his arms out to the side at waist level. Not threatening, but ready. He was glad he was in civilian clothes.

A man stepped out from the trees behind the dogs. He was stocky and dark-haired. And unarmed. " _Qui vient_?"

Chief desperately tried to remember some of the French they'd been coached in. " _Je ne parle pas français_ _. M'aidez. Mes amies son_ ….My friends are hurt and we need some help."

The man frowned and moved forward. The dogs stayed behind him. "Little English. Men hurt? How? Who?"

Chief sensed there were a couple of other men back in the trees. He decided to take a chance. Not that many collaborators outside of the cities. He lowered his arms and tried to speak slowly. "We're running from the Germans. My friends were shot, they're bleedin' bad, bleeding. We're Americans, Allies."

" _Sprichst du Deutsch_ _?_ " the man asked sharply.

" _Nein Deutsch_."Chief knew his accent was bad enough he might believed . "American. English. Allies."

The man looked closely at Chief. " _Si tut Rom_?"

Chief shook his head; he didn't understand . " _Aidez, s'il vous plaît_ _?"_

The man gave a signal with his hand, and two men stepped out from under the trees. They were both pointing rifles at him. The first man spoke to them, " _Bish-lo pushka_ " and they shouldered their rifles.

Then he turned to Chief and held out his hand. "I am Simzo. "

"My name is Chief. " He shook the hand gratefully.

Simzo waved his hand. " _Za!_ Go."

Chief led them as fast as he dared back to the others. They were pretty quiet behind him, and the dogs didn't follow. As they approached the car, he called out to let the Gorillas know it was him. He hoped Actor or Garrison was conscious and able to talk to the three strangers.

Goniff and Casino looked up hopefully.

"Warden's pretty bad," said Casino. "These guys gonna help us?"

"I think so," answered Chief, as Simzo peered into the back seat. It was pretty bloody, and the Warden was very pale. Actor was stirring, but not really awake. "We gotta trust them."

Simzo spoke to the others in that strange language. One of the men stepped back, while two climbed into the front seat and looked at Chief. He jumped behind the steering wheel and started the engine. He followed their hand signals through the orchard, then stopped the car when the man put a hand on his arm. Simzo whistled sharply, then motioned him to continue.

Soon he could spot an encampment ahead. Wagons, horses, the dogs, and a group of people. Women and kids as well as men. The women wore brightly-colored long skirts and shawls, and some of the wagons were painted.

"Gypsies!" Goniff exclaimed. "I think we're in luck, mates. " He leaned to the men in front. "Travelers? Romani?"

Simzo nodded. "Yes, Romani. We help."

Chief parked where indicated, and the three Gorillas exchanged relieved looks. Gypsies were hunted by the Germans too, just like Jews and other sub-humans. They were safe for a while, at least.

Simzo called out some orders. Men came running, and helped them ease Garrison and Actor out of the back seat. Some women walked to a wagon, opened the back door and waited by the steps. Chief tried to follow the others, but the Gypsy man stopped him.

"Go to Bishidka. English he speak."`

Chief didn't want to play leader, but he guessed he was stuck with it for now. He followed Simzo to a campfire further down the row, where an old man sat in a wooden chair. He was wearing a rumpled three-piece suit and a tweed cap. The other Gypsy men, seated on the ground or in chairs, were mostly in wide trousers and vests, a few with ties or scarves around their necks.

Simzo spoke to him in the Gypsy language, and the old man nodded.

"I am Bishidka. We will help your friends. You are running from the Germans?"

Chief nodded. "We're Allied special forces, uh, commandos. We came in to steal some German papers, but they caught us leaving. We lost them back there, off the main road."

The old man grinned. "We hide from the Germans, too." He pulled a plug of tobacco from his pocket and offered it out. Chief shook his head, politely he hoped.

"Simzo thinks maybe you have Romani blood."

"No sir," Chief shook his head again. With his dark hair and eyes, he'd heard that one before.

The old man looked closely at him. "Maybe you are _gaje_ , but not quite a white man, eh?"

He shrugged. "I'm an Indian. Red man."

"John Wayne! Shoot um up!"

"Yeah, but on the other side." So American movies had even reached the Gypsies?

The old man slapped his knee and laughed. Chief found himself grinning back. Yeah, they were both on the other side of the law, in more ways than the Gypsies knew.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Casino and Goniff had been politely but firmly ushered out of the wagon as soon as they had laid the wounded men down on the beds. The old woman had even kicked them off the steps when she came out, and shooed them further away as she came back with a small bundle.

"Think they know what they're doin'?" Casino asked again.

Goniff was worried too. "Better nor us. Gypsies must get shot sometimes, bein' how they lives on the gray side of the line. And some of the Travelers up in England peddle medicine. Maybe the old lady got some special 'erbs and things."

They sat glumly against the wheels of the next wagon. Some young boys had gathered, watching them from a respectful distance. Their clothes were a little shabby, but they were no dirtier than kids that age oughta be, thought Casino. Strange to think that Gypsies still lived out on the road in this day and age.

Women were gathered around several campfires some distance from them. Occasionally one of them lifted the lids of the pots and stirred the contents. There was a faintly familiar smell wafting in their direction. Goniff wondered what it could be. He hoped it was dinner.

They saw Chief and Simzo walking in their direction and stood up. The man nodded at Chief and left him to join his friends.

Chief asked, "Are they gonna be all right? What's goin' on in there?"

"Dunno much. They got two women and a couple of men in there. The old dame brought in some medicine, we think. They kicked us out and ain't said anything. " Casino replied. "Where did that guy take you? Do you think we can trust them?"

"I think we have to," Chief said slowly. "He took me to an old man who speaks English. Don't know if he's their chief or what, but he said they'd help us. They're hidin' from the Krauts, too."

"Well, that's some good news," Goniff said hopefully.

They waited in silence for an hour or more. Finally, the wagon door opened, and the two women came out. The old one pointed at the door, so they leaped up the stairs. It was dim inside, but they could see Actor was sitting up, while Garrison lay under a pile of blankets. Two men were sitting relaxed on stools in the back.

"How's the Warden?" they asked almost simultaneously.

Actor's voice sounded weak but steady. "He had a collapsed lung, but Luludja managed to re-inflate it. The bullet went through the lung, so they were able to remove it easily enough, but he's lost quite an amount of blood."

"Does she know what's she's doing?" Casino asked sharply. "I think we need to get to him a real doctor." He added politely, "You too."

Actor smiled at the palpable afterthought. "My wound has also been neatly stitched up. Luludja seems most competent. She has treated us both with herbal remedies, which we must trust to be helpful. She does think it will be best for Garrison to remain quiet for several days." He added, "I believe we have been offered shelter here. The Romani are often willing to help those on the run from legal authority. We may owe them a debt for this, but we are safe in the meantime."

Chief nodded. "Yeah, seems so. Their leaders said they'd help us, and I think we gotta trust them. Don't have much choice."

Goniff was watching Garrison's chest rise and fall slowly. He spoke up uneasily. "Collapsed lung. 'Ow did she fix that? Will it stay fixed?"

"Why, she blew it up with a straw," Actor replied. "Similar to blowing up a balloon. Most efficacious."

Goniff felt queasy at the thought. Now he was glad they'd been hustled outside to wait.

The door opened again, and the old woman motioned them out. The two Gypsy men went outside too, and the woman climbed in with two steaming glasses. Medicine or tea, wondered Goniff. He could use a cuppa himself.

They were led to a campfire on the other side of the small clearing, where a number of men were seated in chairs or cross-legged on the ground. They were politely offered chairs, but Chief decided to sit on the ground. Now that Actor was up, he didn't want to act like a leader no more.

One of the men poured coffee for them, and the Gorillas accepted the cups gratefully. It had been a long day. The Gypsies greeted them gravely in their own language, at least they thought that's what the nods meant. Several men had pipes in their pockets or hatbands, so Goniff and Casino offered cigarettes all around. The sun was going down and maybe they could relax a little now.

Goniff brightened as several women approached them with plates in each hand. He smiled at the young woman who laid a plate at his side, but she looked the other way. They were each served quietly, and the women retreated to their own campfire. The thick reddish stew smelled delicious. He just hoped it wasn't anything worse than rabbit, maybe. He took a cautious spoonful and grinned. Chicken!


	2. Chapter 2

The fires were dowsed before full dark, but the men stayed in a circle talking in that musical language. The women were busy with their several chores. Their fires were tamped down with dirt, with the large pots still warming in the ashes. Soon the old woman climbed into to the sick wagon, followed by that pretty young girl. The three Gorillas roused themselves and waited by the steps. They were rewarded for their manners by a toothy smile from the old crone as the women left. They took this as permission to enter.

Actor reported that Garrison has roused briefly as his bandages were changed, but hadn't regained full consciousness. The younger woman had spoon-fed him some broth, and Luludja seemed pleased with the wounds. She had invited them to stay the night in the wagon.

A hammock had been strung across the back wall, and Goniff leaped lightly into it. He grinned at Casino. "A bit tight for you, mate. Suits me to a T."

Casino scowled, but he really preferred a steadier bed. "Looks like it's the floor for you and me," he said to Chief.

"Pretty crowded," Chief answered. It was dark and cluttered in here. He grabbed a rug and a blanket. "I can sleep outside."

Chief doubled up the rug on the ground under the steps, and wrapped himself in the blanket. Probably didn't need to keep watch, but he'd wake up if anyone went into the wagon. The other wagons were mostly dark, but he could see a glimmer of light here and there. As the nighttime chatter died down, he allowed himself to go to sleep.

Soft footsteps. Chief woke up, the blade open in his hand. It was early daylight, and three young boys were in front of him. They had jumped back a few feet, but stood their ground. He folded up the knife slowly and let them see how it fit into the sheath. One of them grinned and jabbered at him, then motioned him to follow. A few people were up and about, but the sick wagon was quiet.

The kids led him away from the camp, then stopped by some bushes. They unbuttoned their trousers to pee, and Chief did the same. Field sanitation. They headed toward the river, so he followed to see what was what. A dozen or more sturdy horses were staked out, well-hidden by the overgrown trees. They stood quietly while the boys brought out some nosebags of feed. One of them whinnied and was given a sharp rap on the nose, and his feed bag was taken away. These young kids were already good at training them to be quiet. Chief helped them lug buckets of water from the river, then they headed back to the camp.

Casino and Goniff were squatting by the same campfire as last night, drinking coffee. Actor was seated in a chair, conversing amiably in French with one of the Gypsy men.

"How's the Warden?" Chief asked.

"His color is much better today," answered Actor. "Not truly conscious yet, but he is able to swallow the broth that Mala is feeding him this morning."

"Mala. Is that the pretty one?" asked Casino. "They sure have some fine-lookin' babes here. Maybe they'll help us pass the time."

He winked, and Actor frowned him down. "Please mind your manners, Casino. Contrary to popular opinion, the Romani have high regard for the virtue of their women. We are their guests here, and must not betray their trust."

Well, if Actor could keep away from the women, he could too. But some of them were pretty easy on the eyes. Casino just wished they'd smile once in a while. That would be enchanting.

Two women were approaching with steaming bowls in their hands. Goniff leaped up and took a bowl with a slight bow. He inhaled.

"Apples, stewed apples. They been gleanin' the apples." He took a spoonful of the mush and rolled his eyes. "And this beats even me Mum's applesauce. Very tasty. Cinnamon, I think."

They all cleaned their bowls, and Goniff wondered if he could snag some more. He approached the women's campfire slowly, with his bowl held out. One of the women nodded and filled it up. Goniff nodded back and smiled in thanks.

As he rejoined the men, Casino looked up and grinned. "Looks like Goniff's got himself a girl."

A little girl, maybe three or four years old, was toddling behind the Cockney. He smiled at her , saying "Allo, little one." She stuck two fingers in her mouth and stared at him.

Casino grinned. "I think she likes your baby blues, Goniff."

Goniff winked at the girl, then screwed his eyes shut and popped them open again. He was rewarded with a little squirm. He put the bowl down on a chair and pulled a coin out of his pocket. Rolling it over his fingers, he began his guess-which-hand trick. She caught on pretty fast, but he was letting her win one out of three. Soon a small crowd of children, boys and girls, had gathered around, so he expanded his repertoire.

He felt a light tug and quickly snatched the hand that was reaching into his pocket. He turned to face a young boy, who looked coolly back at him.

"Cor, kid, you gotta learn to do better than that." He pulled the pack of cigarettes from the boy's fingers and dropped them back into his pocket. "I'll show youse."

Goniff saw a slingshot in the kid's back pocket. "What you got to do, see, is create a distraction. See, you can be talkin', or whistlin', or lookin' at somefing else." He knew they couldn't understand him, but that was part of the game.

He tapped the boy's left shoulder and like lightening slid out the slingshot with his other hand. They boy grinned as Goniff held it in front of him. Then he looked startled and pointed quickly to the womenfolk. Goniff felt him lift out the cigarettes again, but nodded and grinned back. Who needed language to teach the tricks of the trade?

Before long, he had the gang of kids practicing on each other. He took the cigarettes back from the kid again and sat down. The little girl had crept closer and he winked at her.

Actor spoke with amusement. "You do have a way with children, Goniff. I'm not sure if the lesson is quite proper, but the adults don't seem to mind." The Gypsy men, and some of the women, were indeed watching the children with interest.

"Aw, they got a rough life, " Goniff replied. "This might give 'em an edge when they need it."

He motioned to his knee. The girl gave him a sweet smile and sat on his lap. She reached up to touch his blond hair. He barely felt the tiny hand creeping into his pocket, and she held up the coin triumphantly.

"You little mite!" exclaimed Goniff. "Blimey, you're good!" He didn't dare to peck her check, but he grinned and folded her chubby fingers over the coin. "You can buy some sweets with that, right?"

GGGGGGGGGGGG

Garrison woke when the Gorillas trooped in to check on him. He struggled to sit up, and Actor propped some pillows behind him.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"In hiding with some Gypsies," Actor said. "I believe we are camped somewhere along the Girande river."

"Gypsies?" Garrison frowned. "Well, they're no friends of the Germans, but do you think we can trust them?"

Both Chief and Actor nodded. "They have been quite good to us," Actor replied. "I think they are unlikely to, hmm, sell us out. They have little reason to like the Germans, and can be sympathetic towards fugitives. They are somewhat hunted themselves."

Garrison considered. "How far are we from the bay? I assume we've missed our rendezvous. Do we still have a car?"

"We're 'bout 10 miles north of Bordeaux, maybe 40 miles from the pick-up point," said Chief. "We have the car, but you ain't fit to travel yet. You been out cold a whole day and don't wanna start bleedin' again."

Actor agreed. "Your nurses think you should rest for a few days. And since we've missed the rendezvous, another day or two won't matter. We'll have to make fresh contact for a new retrieval anyway."

Garrison closed his eyes; he still felt pretty weak. "If we can get to Margaux, we have some contacts there."

"We can do that, but not today," Actor spoke firmly. "Chief is right, you're in no condition to be driven over rough roads just now…..And here is your nurse."

Luludja stood in the doorway with a tray in her hands, which she set down on a shelf. She glared at the men clustered around. " _Za, za,_ " she waved them away crossly.

Actor stayed, "to translate" he said, but told the other three to leave the crowded wagon. "Let the Warden rest and regain his strength."

Luludja unwound the bandages and seemed satisfied with what she saw. Garrison watched with interest as she laid some large leafs in a pan of hot water, and only winced a little as she pressed them against his wounds. After replacing the bandages, she handed him a bowl of stew and waddled out again.

Garrison looked at Actor. "I must have been more out of it than I thought. I'm sure I remember a very pretty nurse hovering over me."

"Mala," Actor smiled. "Very pretty, indeed. But as an unmarried woman, likely she will no longer be allowed to take care of you, now that you are fully conscious."

Garrison found the stew very tasteful, full of big chunks of spicy meat. "And how did the old crone know I'm awake and able to eat solid food?"

"A very skilled healer. We must trust her judgment as to when you will be fit to travel."

Garrison eyed the Italian balefully . "Maybe we'll give it one more day."

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Simzo and Bishidka paid a visit to Garrison later in the day. He felt much better now that he'd had a solid meal, but an attempt to stand up had failed pretty badly. After some small talk about his recovery, they wound their way to the point.

"Chief tell us that you have stole some German papers? Do you sell them?" Bishidka asked.

Garrison frowned. The documents were carefully stashed inside Actor's coat lining. Now he wondered how safe they were. "Not for sale. We're bringing them back to Allied Intelligence in London. That's our job."

Simzo spoke to the old man, who turned back to Garrison. "No, please do not misunderstand. We also know of German papers. We wish these to go to a good place also. Perhaps London is the place for these to go."

"What kind of papers?"

Bishidka spread out his hands. "Simzo and me, we cannot say. Our cousin Kore, he works with _la résistance_. These papers come to him through many hands. He plans to take them to Marseille when his _kumpania_ goes south for winter. There is much smuggling there. But perhaps you are able to smuggle these more quickly, eh?"

"Maybe," answered Garrison cautiously. "But we're headed north."

"Ah, we believe Kore is also north of here, beyond Margaux. Where do you go?"

In that very direction, Garrison thought. But he still gave them a vague answer. "We have a pick-up point at the mouth of the Girande river."

"At Le Verdon? Many good smugglers there," Bishidka smiled. "Perhaps we help each other."

"Perhaps." Garrison wasn't ready to commit yet. He knew there were some Gypsies that carried messages for the resistance, but how trustworthy was this group?

The two Gypsy men conversed in their own language with some seriousness. Then Bishidka spoke again.

"Our boys tell us the Germans are busy on the main roads. We think they hunt for you. We are also hunted, like vermin. We take you north by our secret ways to where you need to go. You are injured, you will travel better in our wagon. If you wish to meet with Kore, then perhaps you will take his papers also."

"That sounds reasonable. Thank you," Garrison answered politely. "But let me talk with my men first. They may already have made some plans."

"Of course. Please know that the _Rom_ will keep our promises we make." Bishidka held his hand up, palm out in the universal gesture. "You may trust us."

Shortly after the two men left, Actor came into the wagon with a plate of food in hand. The others followed.

"Was that a social call, Warden, or a pow-wow?" asked Casino breezily.

Garrison filled them in. "What do you guys think? How far can we trust them?"

The Gorillas exchanged glances, and let Actor speak first.

"They have no reason to love the Nazis. And while they operate outside the law, the Romani do have their own code of honor. As do we," he added with a smile.

Goniff added, "Yeah, they ain't so different from us. And they been treatin' us good."

"They took us in," said Chief. "They helped us. Like family."

Casino nodded agreement, and Garrison did too. "All right, we'll go along with them, but you guys stay sharp for any tricks. You can probably spot them faster than I could." He thought for a moment. "And we really should see what these other stolen papers are."

"Yeah, right, of course we should," Casino retorted. "When did we ever pass up a chance like that?"

As the men filed out for their own dinner, Casino paused by the door. "Sure you're feelin' all right, Warden? First time you've ever asked us for our opinion."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, the Gypsy band was obviously getting ready for the road. While the women packed up the laundry and pots and pans, the older children scattered the campfires. The young children carried in weeds and small branches to spread around the small clearing. Chief watched with interest. These people knew how to hide out from the world.

One of the boys had already driven off in their car, barely able to see over the steering wheel. Casino was indignant, but Actor told him to consider it a payment for the Gypsies' hospitality.

The men were busy lashing barrels and metal containers to the sides of the wagon. Goniff wandered over in curiosity, and came back with a brimming cup.

"Cider. They been cookin' up some hard cider….Not bad," he said after a judicious sip. "Bit yeasty, but it takes a few days for it to cure proper."

Casino grinned at his expression. "We'll be with them for a few days, right?"

By mid-morning, the horses had been hitched up and the small train was ready to roll. Simzo invited Chief to join him in the lead wagon. Bishidka was sitting on the seat of the wagon behind them, a younger man driving the team. Garrison's sick wagon was third in line, followed by the two others. Some of the kids sat on the horses' backs, but most of the clan was on foot. The other Gorillas had been given seats as well. Actor was chatting up the middle-aged driver on the third wagon.

They were headed north, all right, on a small track running roughly parallel to the river. As they turned a sharp corner, Chief glanced back at the spread-out train. The last two wagons were pulling something behind them. He looked harder. The last wagon had some small bushes dragging on the ground. The next one up had a small log rolling behind the wheels. Covering their tracks, he thought. These people knew a lot of tricks.

Close to noon, they stopped for a break. Chief helped the boys carry buckets of water to the horses. The other Gorillas had stepped down to stretch their legs, and the women passed out sandwiches. Before they started again, a boy walked out of the brush to join them. It was the kid who had driven the car away.

"Stashed it somewhere, I guess," said Casino. "Well, maybe they'll need it some day."

As they rolled on that afternoon, the trail virtually disappeared, but Simzo seemed to know where they were going. Skirting the edges of some harvested fields, Simzo turned his team west across one of them. Seeing Chief's raised eyebrows, he pointed to the ground just behind them.

" _Vurma du Kore_ ," he said. "Kore, he leave signs for the _Rom_. See rocks?"

Chief saw it, a small pile of three rocks. Interesting. A short time later, he spotted a strand of string hung up on the fence wire. He pointed at it, "More signs there?"

"Yes, good." Simzo nodded. "Dark string is Kore." Ahead of them was a small stand of trees, and Simzo pointed again as they drew closer. Chief scanned the trunks and saw nothing; then he got it. Several small branches at their eye level had been broken and were all facing the same direction.

"We turn north now, right?" He waved his hand in that direction.

Simzo chuckled and made the turn, but under the shelter of the trees. "Good, good. Kore not far, I know this place."

There were no more signs that Chief could find, but Simzo seemed relaxed and confident. As the afternoon wore on, there was more chatter in the train behind them. A couple of the boys ran out ahead, disappearing in the brush. Soon enough, they drew up to a small cluster of wagons. No clearing here, the wagons were scattered among the trees. A tall Gypsy was standing towards the front, and raised his hand in greeting.

Simzo jumped down and the two men talked quietly in their Gypsy language. The other Gorillas came up to join Chief by the first wagon.

"Is this our meet?" asked Casino.

Chief nodded. "Yeah, this must be that Kore. We were followin' his trail of breadcrumbs."

The two Gypsies approached and led them towards the third wagon. "We talk now," said Simzo.

Garrison was already easing himself out of the wagon door, and waved off Goniff's helpful arm. "I'm fine," he said testily.

Simzo made the introductions, and the three men conversed in French. The Gorillas waited not too patiently for Actor's translation.

"It seems they are each satisfied with the other's _bona fides_ , " Actor told them. "Kore's papers are a list of detainees at the Coudrecieux internment camp. Some are Gypsy, but they are mostly French and English inmates. They want to send all these names out to the wider world."

Kore had pulled a battered silver cigarette case out of his pocket, and was showing the contents to Garrison.

"Ah, the names are written inside the cigarette papers, certain ones only. Very clever."

The men shook hands, and Garrison walked over to the cons. He seemed pretty steady on his feet.

"Kore will take us to our contact in Margaux. Tomorrow." He frowned down Actor's objection. "Another night's rest and I'll be all right. The Gypsies are also leaving here tomorrow, so this is our best option….Plus we've imposed on these people enough."

Luludja was approaching them with a cup in her hand. Garrison sighed. "And here comes that woman with another vile potion for me."

The campfires were tamped down early that night, and Garrison was sternly sent off to rest by the old woman. The Gypsies stayed gathered in a large circle long after dark. Chief nudged Actor, who was contentedly puffing his pipe.

"Any idea what they're talkin' about?"

Actor shook his head. "I know only a few words of their language. It is based on Sanskrit, you know. But from the intonation, I would guess they are reciting historical tales or poems."

Casino rolled his eyes. "Well, it's enough to put this boy to sleep. I'm off to bed."

"Me, too," said Goniff. "But first, I gotta stop this little bugger." He grabbed the arm of the boy trying to pick his pocket and held it up for them to see. The boy grinned unashamedly.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGG

In the morning, Simzo and Bishidka came to see them off. They shook hands all around, and Bishidka pulled Chief aside.

"You are all _Romani Gaje_ now," he said. "Friends to the _natsia_ , our people. Learn these words, and speak our names if you need."

" _Romani Gaje_ ," Chief repeated, with one of his rare smiles. " _Romani Gaje_."


End file.
